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If you’re into photographing people indoors, the best investment is a good flash. Built in flashes are mostly worthless for quality lighting. They produce a white glare and cone of light that makes color washed out, and people look older.
However, external flashes don’t necessarily make a good photo. Without a diffuser, or bouncing a flash, the glare and cone of light is just bigger and sometimes uglier.
In the following illustrated guide, I use a Nikon D700 digital SLR camera with a Nikon SB-600 external flash, to demonstrate various basic flash effects.
Built in camera flash
With built in flash
A built in flash is useful if you don’t have space for an external flash, or you just neglected to bring one. However, as mentioned previously, it tends to cast an unattractive cone shaped glare. A little tip: if you use your built in flash and don’t have a diffuser, hold a piece of paper right in front of it, it will diffuse the light. Just make sure you don’t touch a hot flash with paper.
External flash, forward pointing, without diffuser
External flash, without diffuser or bouncing
An external flash pointing straight at the subject, without a diffuser, can also make the subject unattractive. Again, without a diffuser at hand, you can hold a piece of paper in front of the flash for a better result. Just make sure you don’t touch a hot flash with paper.
External flash, forward pointing, with diffuser
External flash, forward pointing, with built in diffuser
The built in diffuser with the SB-600 flash is a nice feature, but doesn’t seem to make the grade in certain situations. Will have to experiment with better diffusers…
Bounced Flash
External flash, bounced on ceiling
Bouncing a flash is a tricky thing. If the thing you’re bouncing the flash off is too far, it will have no effect on the subject. If it’s at the wrong angle, it will cast an ugly shadow on the subject. The subject will also take on the color of the surface that you’re bouncing the flash off. That can be good or bad.
External flash, bounced on right wall
External flash, bounced on back wall
If done well, there is no substitute for a bounced flash, except for studio lighting or well cast sunlight.
What to look for in an external flash
I think the most important thing is multiple positions for the flash. My SB-600 can point the flash to the left, right, top, and even to the back. I often bounce the flash to the back in a small room, as this casts the most even light. Only, you have to keep the film sensitivity a little higher and aperture wider.
Sometimes, if I like the color of a wall, I’ll bounce the flash off that for interesting effects. If you’re lucky enough to have a good reflector, you can play with even more options.
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